


Twinkle Toes

by ddelusionall



Series: Drabble-A-Day: Nov 2015 [22]
Category: EXO (Band), SHINee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dance, Dancer Kim Jongin | Kai, Drabble, M/M, Past Internalized Homophobia, Second Chances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-22
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:28:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23919028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ddelusionall/pseuds/ddelusionall
Summary: It's been since high school, but Taemin still remembers.
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Lee Taemin
Series: Drabble-A-Day: Nov 2015 [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1724152
Kudos: 2





	Twinkle Toes

In the US, 'twinkle toes' refers to someone who is light on their feet. We use it a lot to talk about people who are dancers.

\---

Taemin sat in the back row of the small theater. The seat beside him remained empty as the clock ticked closer to curtain. His phone suddenly flashed. A message from Junmyeon. The first word was "sorry", and Taemin did not read the rest of it. He put his jacket on the empty seat, silenced his phone, and slid it into his jacket pocket.

He read through the program really quickly, and just finished the main explanation of the modern dance routine before the lights went down. He put the program in the same pocket as his phone and shifted, more comfortable to watch the performance.

But it was only a minute later, the lights bright on stage, the dancers twirling and jumping around that Taemin sat up straight and had to bite his lip on a shout.

On stage were four women and four men. And one of the men was very, very familiar. Taemin tried to pick up the program again to verify, but it was too dark to read the names of the cast members in the dark.

Less than five minutes into the performance, and Taemin had all the confirmation he needed.

Kim Jongin was dancing up on stage. Taemin watched his fluid movements, the way his legs and arms just easily went up and down around and through. He was all legs and arms with brown hair a mess around his head. He had a gorgeous smile that he shot at the crowd and then an adorable pout that showed a bit more concentration on the more complicated steps. He was beautiful and so elegant.

He oozed confidence when he danced, and he smiled and laughed and danced with his troupe. It was obvious to Taemin’s trained eye that he was the best one on their team.

Jongin was very different than the boy who had stuttered through a confession during high school. But maybe not. He had been nervous, but completely confident. He had not hidden who he was. He had never been anything but himself. Unlike Taemin.

Taemin had turned him down. He had not been ready to admit his sexuality when he was only seventeen. Some days it was still difficult.

The dance routines bled into one another, and then it was intermission. Taemin fought the urge to leave. He wanted to talk to Jongin so badly. He needed to. At least to apologize. Back in high school, he did have a crush on Jongin. They had been friends during Taemin’s third year, and Jongin’s second year. They probably would have been friends even longer if Jongin had not confessed, because they were both dancers and they both liked to stay after school to practice. Some of the meaner bullies called them the Twinkle-Toe Twins.

Taemin looked at the program. But Jongin was not listed as Jongin, but as Kai. He wondered what the meaning was behind the nickname.

After the performance, he used the excuse that he was friends with Kwon Yuri to slip through to the backstage with other friends of the dancers.

Yuri saw him and squealed his name, and Taemin smiled at her, but was very aware of Jongin looking at him, watching him, eyes going wide in recognition. Yuri hugged him tightly and then introduced them to the others in the troupe.

“And this is Kai.”

Taemin swallowed and nodded. “We-we’ve met. We went to high school together.”

“Oh my god, really! That is so cool!”

The other dancers laughed and asked questions about them in high school, but Taemin let Jongin answer them all.

“Hey,” Yuri said, looking around. “Where’s Junmyeon?”

Taemin shook his head. “He ... he canceled on me.”

Yuri made a face. “That boyfriend of yours is going to get one of my platforms shoved up his ass. He treats you like shit.”

Taemin nodded. “Yeah. I know. I’m tired of it too. Today was just one more thing on top of a lot of things.”

“You have a boyfriend?” Jongin suddenly asked him.

“Not for long,” Yuri said.

Taemin smiled. “Yeah. He’s kind of a dick.”

Yuri snorted, and then she grinned, looking between Jongin and Taemin. “We’re going out for drinks,” she said, obviously noting the way that Taemin could not take his eyes off Jongin. “You want to come with?”

Taemin smiled at the slightly hopeful look on Jongin’s face. He knew his own face looked the same. “Yeah. Sure. That sounds like fun.”


End file.
